Railway-switch.



J, ALEXANDER.

RAILWAY SWETGH. APIPLICATIQNJILED JULY 7, 1916.

, 1,275,998, PatentedAug. 20,1918.

JOHN LEXHN DER Guam,

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JClHN ALEXANDER, OF QAK CREEK, GOZPORADO.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1918 Application filed July 7, 1916. 7 Serial No. 108,015.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ALEXANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oak Creek, in the county of Routt and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to railway switches and. particularly to switches of particular value in connection with mine tracks though capable of use in ordinary railway sys tems and under like situations.

One object of this invention is to provide a system of switches to be used in corn nection with a three track railroad, with op positely directed turn-outs extending from said track, and in this connection provide means for simultaneously operating the switchpoints and the stub switches disposed at the intersections of the rails 01': the main tracks with the rails of the turn-outs, to thereby provide means for permitting the cars to move along either of the main tracks or to be shifted onto one or the other of the turn-out or side tracks from the main tracks. p

Other objects will appear in the course of the following descriptlon. v

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a p an view of my invention as applied to three rail tracks; 7

Fig.2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; V

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 "of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4: is a plan view of one of the rotatable members.

Referrin to Fig. l, which illustrates my switch mec anism applied to a three rail track, 2, 2 and 2 designate the rails of the main three rail track, 3 and 3 the rails of one turnout and l and 4 the rails of another turnout. It will be understood, of course, that the cars, such as mining cars may run either upon the rails 2 and 2 or upon the rails 2 and 2". A car running upon the rails 2 and 2 will turn out upon the rails 3 and 3*, while a car running upon the rails 2 and 2 will turn out upon the rails 4 and 1.

The rail 3 joins with therail 2 in the usual manner and the rail 2 adjacent the point of juncture with the rail 3 is pro Vided with a switch point 5 pivotally mounted at its butt end in any suitable manner and moving over wear plates 6 mounted upon the ties 7. The rail 2 is unbroken its entire length and operating in conjunction with this rail are the switch points 8 and 9 which are pivotally supported. in the usual manner and operate over wear plates 6. mounted upon the ties 7. The rail 2 is interrupted in its length and disposed at this interruption is the switch point 10 which operates in the same manner as the switch point 5, the rail 4 joining the rail 2 at the point of engagement of the switch point 10 with the rail 2. It will be noted that the switch points 5 and 8 are disposed in advance of the switch points 9 and 10.

Disposed at the intersection of the rails 3 and 2 and at the intersection of the rails l and 2 is a throw rail 11 pivoted at 12 so that it may be turned into alinement with either the rails 2 or 3 or into alinement with either of the rails 4L and 2 The free end of each of these throw rails rests u on a plate 13 and mounted uaon this p ate 1?) are the stop members let w ich are curved toward each other so as to extend over the fiangesof the rails 2 and 3 or 2 and 4 as the case may be and also form stops for the free end of the throw rails 11, the free end of each throw rail being cut away on an inclination so as to fit against the extremities of the rails 2 and 3 or 2 and 4 with which the particular throw rail coacts. The throw rails 11 rest upon the wear plates 15 and in order to brace the rails 11 against lateral or tipping thrust, steel braces 16 are riveted to the throw rails and extend downward on each side thereof beyond the bases of the rails so as to increase in a sense, the base of each rail.

For the purpose of operating the several points and the throw rails, I provide a rotatable operating me her in the form of a disk designated 17 which is connected to the other rails, and a rotatable disk 18 in connection with the points. Each of these disks is provided with an outwardly projecting arm 19, these arms being connected to each other by means of a connecting rod 20 and the arm 19 of the member 18 is connected to an operating rod 21 which may extend to any suitable lever or other actuating element. The arm 19 of the operating member 17 is connected to a spring 22 which normally holds the parts in such position that the switch is open to the main tracks. The disk 17 has pivotal connection on one side of its center to a bridle rod 23 which extends beneath and is pivotally connected to a rail engaging section 24 which is engaged with one of the throw rails 11. I The opposite portion of the disk 17 is pivotally connected to a bridle rod 25 which is connected in like manner to the other throw rail 11. Thus it will be obvious that the throw rails are shifted in opposite directions upon a rotation of the disk 17 The points 5 and 8 are connected by a switch rod 26 which in turn is connected to a bridle rod 27 pivotally connected to the disk 18 while a bridle rod 28 is pivotally connected to the diametrically opposite portion of the disk and is operatively connected in the manner heretofore described to the switch points 9 and 10. It will thus be obvious that the points 5 and 8 will be shifted in an opposite direetion to the points 9 and 10 upon a rotation of the disk 18. lVhile I do not wish to be limited to any particular manner of connecting the bridle rods to the disks 17 or 18, I prefer ably form each of these disks with slots 27 the bridle rods being provided with studs engaging in said slots. These slots permit a sufficient play of the bridle rods.

It will be seen that normally the spring 22 holds the throw rails 11 and the switch points in such position that the main tracks formed by the rails 2 and 2 and 2 and 2 open so that a train can pass along the main tracks in either direction. If it be desired now to shunt a train onto one of the side tracks, as for instance a train on the rails 2 and 2 approaching points 9 and 10, then the disks 18 and 17 are rotated in a counterclockwise direction which will obviously shift the points 5 and 8 into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the points 9 and 10 also to the position shown in dotted lines, thus connecting the track formed by the rails 2 and 2 with the turnout formed by the rails 4 and 4*. Thus a car approaching the switch on one side of the middle rail 2 will be deflected onto one of the turnouts and a car approaching the switch in the same direction on the other side of rail 2 will be deflected onto the other turnout. It is to be understood that these turnouts while they may lead to side tracks, may also be used as de'railing tracks so that a car or cars passing onto these turnouts will run to the end of the track and then run off the rails onto the ground, thus stopping the cars. It is even possible to do this without using more than the switch points 5 and 8, and 9 and 10, these points acting to derail any cars approaching the points when the points are-set to deflect the cars laterally from the rails of the main tracks. In this case means will be disposed along the railswhereby a trip rider on the runaway section of a train may shift the disk l8or like mechanism and so shift the points.

lVherever the device is to be used for shunting cars onto turnouts, these turnouts may either be derailing turnouts or lead to sidings, though the mechanism used is that indicated in Fig, l.

This construction is to three railed tracks which are used in mines because of the necessity of. econo'fniz-. ing space. The points 9 and 10 and the points 5 and8 are all connected to the same operating mechanism in order that both sets of points may be shifted by one actuation of the disks 18. Both switches are operated either to their open or closedposition at the same time by onethrow of the switch which is an economy in labor. Thus trains which are following each other may be shunted, one onto one turnout and the next train onto the other turnout while the third train may be kept on the main track by reversing the switch operatingmechanism and allowing it to be drawn back to its normal position by the spring 22. I Having described my invention, what I claim is: t 1. The combination with a three rail track comprising a middle rail and two outerv rails, and two turnout tracks, of throw, rails disposed at the intersectionof. the inner rails of the turnout tracks with the particularly suited outer rails of the main track, switch points pivotally engaged with the ends of themner turnout rails, pivoted switch points forming part ofthe outer rails of the main track and 'shiftable into or out of alinement therewith, and means. for simultaneously shifting one pair of switch points in oppo site direction relative to the other. pair'of switch points and simultaneously shifting the throw rails in relatively opposite directions.

2. The combination with a three-rail track comprising a middle rail and two outer rails, and two turnout tracks, of throw rails disposed at the intersection of the inner rails of the turnout tracks with the outer rails of the main track, switch points pivotallyengaged with the ends of the inner turnout rails, pivoted switch points forming part of the outer rails of the main track and shiftable intoor out of alinement therewith, means forsimultaneously shift ing one pair of switch points in opposite direction relative to the other pair of switch points and simultaneously shifting the throw rails in opposite directions, said means including rotatably mounted members, one for the throw rails and one for the switch points, the throw rails being respecthe parts to a position where the main tracks tively connected to diametrically opposite are open.

points of the corresponding member, and In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my the switch points being connected respecsignature in the presence of two witnesses.

tively to diametrically opposite points of JOHN ALEXANDER. the corresponding member, arms extending Witnesses:

from said members, connections between ALLEN CLIFF,

said arms, and means for normally urging P. S. GALLOWAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained tor five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patentu,

- Washington, D. 0. 

